Vehicle.



PA'IEN'IEDv MAY 26,-, 1903.

IJ.' GUMMINGS.

VEHIGLE. rAPPLIOATION FILED zum; 2, 1902.

me mams PETERS co.. Pno'mumnv. wfsmuumw o f Patented UNITED .PATENT JoHNouMMINGs, oF GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN, AssIGNoR oF oNII-IIAIQF` f vToALFRED D. RATHBONE .IRI,"OF GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN.' f

VEHICLE.

srncrrrcA'rroN forming part of Letters Patent No. 728,872, dated May26,1903. Application led .Tune 2, 1902. Serial No. 109,932. (No model.)

T all whom, t Wtcty concern,.-

Be it known that I, JOHN CUMMINGs, a citizen of the United States,residing at Grand Rapids, in the county of Kent and State of Michigan,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Vehicles; and I dohereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact descriptionof the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to whichit appertains-to make and use the same.

My invention` relates to improvements in vehicles, and more especiallyto carriages or buggies having a body mounted upon springs; and itsobject is to provide a simple and durable construction, to provideimproved means for securing the reach to the rear axle and head-blockand for securingand supporting the springs in place, to preventdetachment of the front axle in the event of breakage of the king-bolt,to simplify and improve the construction of the springs, and to providethe device with certain new and useful features hereinafter more fullydescribed,

and particularly-pointed out in the claims.

My device consists, essentially, in the novel construction andarrangement of the parts whereby the springs are supported between theaxles and preferably in the plane of the reach and partially by the sameand in various combinations and arrangements of parts,- as hereinaftermore fully described, reference being had to the accompanying drawings,in which- Figure l is a front view of a portion of a vehicle embodyingmy invention; Fig. 2, an enlarged plan of a portion of thev rear axleand adjacent parts. Fig. 3 is the same of the head-block and adjacentparts; Fig. 4, an inverted plan of a portion of Fig. 2; Fig. 5, aninverted plan of a portion of Fig. 3; Fig. 6, avertical section on theline 6 6 of Fig. 2, and Fig. 7 the same on the line 7 7 of Fig. 3.

Like letters refer to like parts in all of the figures.

A represents the forward axle of the vehicle B, the rear axle; C, thereach; D, the lower part of the forward spring; E, the lower part of therear spring; D, the upper part of the forward spring, and E the upperpart of 5o the rear spring.

The construction of spring herein shown is not claimed herein, but isreserved for a separate application, in accordance with the requirementof the office.

F represents the head-block, G the fifthwheel, and H the king-bolt, allof the usual construction.

-D and E.

To further secure the reach and spring in place, I provide a T-shapediron L', placed above the spring D and extending upon the upper surfaceof the reach C and secured in place by suitable bolts,v one of which(the bolt I) extends downward and is inserted in the brace K, extendingfrom the reach to the lower end of the king-bolt, whereby the brace isstrengthened and the strain upon the kingbolt partially relieved. Alsoby tightening this bolt the slack due to wear is` taken up, and Vif theking-bolt should break this bolt would prevent the detachment of theforward axle. Suitable clips R also firmly clamp the iron L, the springD, and the extension O of the reach-iron. The rear axle B is provided atits lower side with a forwardly-extended plate J, welded thereto, uponwhich plate the rear spring E is securely fastened by means of clips QQ, and a T-shaped' plate L is also placed above the spring E and held bysaid clips and extended forward upon the reach,

to which it is secured by suitable bolts. If preferred, the plate J maybe a lateral extension of the reach-iron. The reach-plate M extendsalong the under side of the reach and is shouldered and offset to engagethe plate J and is thence extended beneath the same and the reach, as atN, and is secured to the under side of the same by a suitable clip Q. Itwill thus be seen that the springs rest upon laterally-extended platesin the plane of the lower side of the reach, and correspondinglaterally-extended irons engage the upper side of the springs, theseextensions being firmly clamped by clips and forming braces in theangles between the ends of the reach and the head-block and the rear IOOaxle,whereby a very strong and durable structure is produced that willnot break easily or get out of order.

Having thus fully described my invention,

5 what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. In a vehicle, a T- shaped plate extending beneath the head-block andreach and having lateral extensions, a support for the 1o body of thevehicle attached to said extensions, a plate extending forward from therear axle and welded thereto, a support for the body attached to saidplate, and a reach connecting the said plates and abutting against 15the supports.

2. In a vehicle, a reach-iron adapted to be attached to the under sideof the reach and head-block, a lateral extension of said iron, a forwardsupport for the body secured to zo said extension, a forward extensionof the springs and the respective ends of the reach,

clips embracing the ,T- irons, springs, and lateral extensions of thereach-iron.

In testimony whereof I aix my signature 35 in presence of two witnesses.

-JOHN CUMMINGS.

Witnesses:

LUTHER V. MoUL'roN, JENNIE M. SLOANE.

